June 16th, 2021
News
June 4, 2021, Sudbury, ON - Modern Mining & Technology Sudbury (MMTS) thanks all the participants who helped make MMTS another success, despite the challenges posed by holding the annual event during a pandemic.
From May 10th to 17th, students from across the Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts were introduced to the many different career paths that exist in the mining industry, as well as to how much about mining has changed, from the way it is conducted, to the safety of the individuals who work in the industry, to its impact on the environment and companies’ commitments to sustainable practices.
“MMTS is really about looking forward and ensuring we have a sustainable industry that has the people required to match the need,” said MMTS Committee Co-Chair Nicole Tardif. “Mining earned a reputation from its past that, while not necessarily unfair, is no longer reflective of where the industry finds itself today. We see part of MMTS’s job to be telling that story in order to move us all forward.”
One of the more popular parts of that move forward has traditionally been the MineOpportunity game, where local schools form teams to compete for prizes, which went from a live, interactive experience to a rich, exciting virtual one. This year’s game was held in a Google Classroom over a two-week period from its launch May 10th.
And the stakes were higher than ever. While in the past MMTS typically gave out gift certificates and other promo items as loot, this year $10,000.00 was up for grabs, with $5000.00 going to the 1st place team, and $3000.00 and $2000.00 prizes for 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
“The cash helped bring a “real world” component to the proceedings,” enthused MMTS Committee Co-Chair Shannon Katary. “The teams had to be strategic in their approach, know and leverage their strengths, assign roles, and split up to tackle different aspects of the game, just as they would in a real job situation. And they really came through!” Leadership, critical thinking, problem solving, project management, and the ability to prioritize to hit high value targets based on time or difficulty were all key components to victory.
The winners were officially announced at the MMTS Facebook page and website May 26th. The standings were as follows:
1. Lively District Secondary School – Hawks Mining - $5000.00
Bradley Kiviaho, Bradley Halonen, Isak Fjordell and Blake Marassato. Teacher - Christopher Dinnes
2. Lockerby Composite School – The Minders - $3000.00
3. École secondaire catholique La Renaissance – Les Lynx d’espace - $2000.00
The prize money will be expected to be used for educational purposes related to earth sciences, mining, field trips, etc., and the MMTS Committee hopes schools and students will provide video and pictures of what they were able to experience with the money.
“We wish to thank all 14 MineOpportunity teams, and everybody who participated in MMTS Week,” said Co-Chairs Tardif and Katary. “We are all about the evolution of the mining business, how it has adapted to new realities, and innovated to do its job even better under stricter safety and environmental regulations. It behooved us to switch gears and carry on, and we are pleased the changes were embraced so enthusiastically.”
About MMTS
The goal of Modern Mining & Technology Sudbury (MMTS) is to promote, educate and inspire the many rewarding careers available in today's mining industry to the next generation. For more information on MMTS visit: www.modernmining.ca
MMTS Contact:
Nicole Tardif
MMTS Co-Chair
ntardif@laurentian.ca
Shannon Katary
MMTS Co-Chair
shannonkatary@hotmail.com
